Indiana businessman, nurse among four dead in Bahamas plane crash

FREEPORT, Bahamas, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- A businessman and a nurse from Indiana were among four people killed in a plane crash off the Bahamian coast, police and the women's ex-husband said Monday.

Tony Wishart, a businessman from Fishers, was the pilot of the plane, a Cirrus SR22 that crashed Sunday shortly after taking off on a sightseeing flight, WISH-TV, Indianapolis, reported. He had radioed the plane was experiencing engine trouble shortly before it went down, officials said.

Fred Mierzwa of Crete, Ind., told The Times of Northwest Indiana officials in the Bahamas had informed the family Cynthia Mierzwa, 62, of Union Township, was among those killed in the crash.

The names of the other two victims, a man and a woman, had not been released.

Fred Mierzwa said his ex-wife was traveling with her current partner, Kent Hill of Valparaiso, the newspaper said.

WRTV-TV, Indianapolis, reported a family member said Wishart's wife was not one of the victims on the plane, which had taken off from Grand Bahama International Airport and crashed in the Queen's Cove area.

The four had reportedly been on Grand Bahama for a week. Their bodies were recovered, the Bahamas Tribune reported.

The cause of the crash had not yet been determined.

The Civil Aviation Department's Flight Standard Inspectorate said the aircraft had a U.S. registration of N432BC that was registered to First Class Flyers LLC.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today's UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.